Methods and Systems for Monitoring a Solid-Liquid Interface

ABSTRACT

Methods and systems are provided for monitoring a solid-liquid interface, including providing a vessel configured to contain an at least partially melted material; detecting radiation reflected from a surface of a liquid portion of the at least partially melted material; providing sound energy to the surface; measuring a disturbance on the surface; calculating at least one frequency associated with the disturbance; and determining a thickness of the liquid portion based on the at least one frequency, wherein the thickness is calculated based on L=(2m−1)v s /4f, where f is the frequency where the disturbance has an amplitude maximum, v s  is the speed of sound in the material, and m is a positive integer (1, 2, 3, . . . ).

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of priority from U.S. ProvisionalApplication No. 60/975,589, filed Sep. 27, 2007, the entirety of whichis expressly incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

This invention was made with U.S. Government support under NationalRenewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) Subcontract No. ZDO-2-30628-03 underDepartment of Energy (DOE) Contract No. DE-AC36-98GO10337, awarded byDOE. The U.S. Government has certain rights in this invention.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention generally relates to methods and systems formonitoring a solid-liquid interface or more generally the depth of aliquid. The invention further relates to methods and systems formonitoring the progress of melting and/or solidification of a solidmaterial by monitoring movement of a solid-liquid interface in apartially melted material during, for example, the melt andsolidification cycles of a casting process.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Recent advances have been made in casting of materials, such as silicon,for applications in the photovoltaic industry. Such advances aredescribed, for example, in copending application Ser. Nos. 11/624,365and 11/624,411, filed Jan. 18, 2007. Materials, such as those used toform semiconducting substrates or wafers, may include combinations ofelements from Groups II-VI, III-V, and IV-IV. As used herein, the term“material,” unless otherwise specified, includes any element orcombination of elements from Groups II-VI, III-V, and IV-IV, inparticular those which may be formed into semiconductor wafers orsubstrates.

During casting processes, for example, the material may existsimultaneously in multiple phases, such as a molten or partially meltedmaterial containing a liquid portion and a solid portion. A solid-liquidinterface is located between the liquid and solid portions until thematerial is completely solidified. As used herein, the term“solid-liquid interface” refers to a region bordering both the liquidand solid portions of a material, for example, during either the meltingor solidification portions of a casting process. It is understood thatthe solid-liquid interface may not be exactly two-dimensional, and mayhave a finite thickness depending on the material beingmelted/solidified and other processing conditions. Monitoring thesolid-liquid interface is important to controlling the melting andsolidification processes during casting, so that certain crystal growthcharacteristics may be achieved, for example. In another example,monitoring the depth of a liquid being held in a container, such as acrucible or holding tank, is important where the height of the column ofliquid cannot be determined by only knowing the position of the freeliquid surface.

In a known casting procedure for the manufacture of photovoltaic cells,a material, such as silicon feedstock, may be mixed with a dopant forinducing either a positive or negative conductivity type, melted, andthen crystallized by either pulling the crystallized material out of amelt zone or solidifying it in place to form ingots. If siliconfeedstock is used, these ingots may be monocrystalline silicon (via theCzochralski (CZ) or float zone (FZ) methods), or cast into blocks or“bricks” of multi-crystalline silicon or polycrystalline silicon,depending on the grain size of the individual silicon grains. As usedherein, the term “cast” means that the silicon is formed by cooling amolten material in a mold or vessel used to hold the molten material. Asused herein, the term “monocrystalline silicon” refers to a body ofsingle crystal silicon, having one consistent crystal orientationthroughout. Further, “conventional multi-crystalline silicon” refers tocrystalline silicon having cm-scale grain size distribution, withmultiple randomly oriented crystals located within a body of silicon. Asused herein, however, the term “geometrically ordered multi-crystallinesilicon” (hereinafter abbreviated as “geometric multi-crystallinesilicon”) refers to crystalline silicon, having a geometrically orderedcm-scale grain size distribution, with multiple ordered crystals locatedwithin a body of silicon. Further, as used herein, the term“poly-crystalline silicon” refers to crystalline silicon with micronorder grain size and multiple grain orientations located within a givenbody of silicon. For example, the grains are typically an average ofabout submicron to submillimeter in size (e.g., individual grains maynot be visible to the naked eye), and grain orientation distributedrandomly throughout. In the casting procedure described above, theingots or blocks are cut first into bricks with the propercross-section, and then into thin substrates, also referred to aswafers, by known slicing or sawing methods. These wafers may then beprocessed into photovoltaic cells.

Conventional monocrystalline silicon for use in the manufacture ofphotovoltaic cells is generally produced by the CZ or FZ methods, bothbeing processes in which a cylindrically shaped boule of crystallinesilicon is produced. For a CZ process, the boule is slowly pulled out ofa pool of molten silicon. For a FZ process, solid material is fedthrough a melting zone and re-solidified on the other side of themelting zone. A boule of monocrystalline silicon, manufactured in theseways, contains a radial distribution of impurities and defects, such asrings of oxygen-induced stacking faults (OSF) and “swirl” defects ofinterstitial or vacancy clusters. Even with the presence of theseimpurities and defects, monocrystalline silicon is generally a preferredsource of silicon for producing photovoltaic cells, because it can beused to produce high efficiency solar cells. Monocrystalline silicon is,however, more expensive to produce than conventional multi-crystallinesilicon, using known techniques such as those described above.

Conventional multi-crystalline silicon for use in the manufacture ofphotovoltaic cells is generally produced by a casting process. Castingprocesses for preparing conventional multi-crystalline silicon are knownin the art of photovoltaic technology. Briefly, in such processes,molten silicon is contained in a crucible, such as a quartz crucible,and is cooled in a controlled manner to permit the crystallization ofthe silicon contained therein. The block of multi-crystalline siliconthat results is generally cut into bricks having a cross-section that isthe same as or close to the size of the wafer to be used formanufacturing a photovoltaic cell, and the bricks are sawn or otherwisecut into such wafers. The multi-crystalline silicon produced in suchmanner is an agglomeration of crystal grains where, within the wafersmade therefrom, the orientation of the grains relative to one another iseffectively random. Photovoltaic cells made from multi-crystallinesilicon generally have lower efficiency compared to equivalentphotovoltaic cells made from monocrystalline silicon, due to a higherconcentration of grain boundary and dislocation defects. However,because of the relative simplicity and lower costs for manufacturingconventional multi-crystalline silicon, as well as effective defectpassivation in cell processing, multi-crystalline silicon is a morewidely used form of silicon for manufacturing photovoltaic cells.

Recently, high quality geometrically ordered multi-crystalline siliconhas been produced by a casting process, yielding large volumes of castgeometrically ordered multi-crystalline silicon that does not have arandom distribution of grains therein. Additionally, high qualitymonocrystalline silicon has also been produced by a casting process,yielding large volumes of cast monocrystalline silicon that is free ofboth the high levels of dislocations and grain boundaries found inmulticrystalline cast silicon and the radial distribution of defects andimpurities present in the CZ and FZ methods. See, for example, copendingU.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 11/624,365 and 11/624,411.

The inventors have invented improved systems and methods for monitoringa solid-liquid interface during, for example, a casting process. Theinventors have also invented non-invasive and non-contact systems andmethods for monitoring a solid-liquid interface during, for example, acasting process.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the methods and systems described above, there isprovided a method of monitoring a solid-liquid interface, comprising:providing a vessel configured to contain an at least partially meltedmaterial; detecting radiation reflected from a surface of a liquidportion of the at least partially melted material; providing soundenergy to the surface; measuring a disturbance on the surface;calculating at least one frequency associated with the disturbance; anddetermining a thickness of the liquid portion based on the at least onefrequency, wherein the thickness is calculated based on

${L = \frac{\left( {{2\; m} - 1} \right)v_{s}}{4\; f}},$

where f is the frequency where the disturbance has an amplitude maximum,v_(s) is the speed of sound in the material, and m is a positive integer(1, 2, 3, . . . ).

In accordance with the methods and systems described above, there isalso provided a method of monitoring a solid-liquid interface,comprising: inducing a disturbance in a surface of a liquid material ata first time; measuring a first reflection of radiation from the surfaceat the first time; measuring a second reflection of radiation from thesurface at a second time after the first time; and calculating athickness of the liquid material based on

${L = \frac{v_{s}d\; t}{2}},$

where dt is the difference between the second time and the first time,and v_(s) is the speed of sound in the liquid.

Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth inthe description that follows, being apparent from the description orlearned by practice of embodiments of the invention. It is to beunderstood that both the foregoing general description and the followingdetailed description are exemplary and explanatory, and are intended toprovide further explanation of the invention as claimed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute apart of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and,together with the description, serve to explain the features,advantages, and principles of the invention. In the drawings:

FIG. 1A illustrates, in cross-section, an exemplary casting station andapparatus for monitoring a solid-liquid interface in a partially-meltedmaterial, according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 1B illustrates a partial plan view taken along the line A-A in FIG.1A, according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 1C illustrates, in cross-section, an exemplary casting station andapparatus for monitoring a solid-liquid interface in a partially-meltedmaterial, according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2A illustrates, in cross-section, the presence of one or moresurface waves in an exemplary casting station and exemplary apparatusfor monitoring a solid-liquid interface in a partially-melted material,according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2B illustrates, in cross-section, an exemplary surface wave and theresulting reflection of an incident beam of radiation from that surfacewave, according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2C illustrates, in cross-section, an exemplary method for measuringthe distance between a surface wave and a solid-liquid interface,according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a graphical representation of an exemplary method fordetermining a resonance frequency corresponding to a distance between asurface wave and a solid-liquid interface, according to an embodiment ofthe present invention;

FIG. 4A illustrates, in cross-section, an exemplary casting station andapparatus for monitoring a solid-liquid interface in a partially-meltedmaterial by using a beam of radiation to induce a shock wave, accordingto an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4B illustrates a closer view of the shock wave induced according toFIG. 4A;

FIG. 5 illustrates, in cross-section, an exemplary casting station andapparatus for monitoring a solid-liquid interface in a partially-meltedmaterial by using a rod to transduce a sonic wave, according to anembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 illustrates, in cross-section, an exemplary casting station andapparatus for monitoring a solid-liquid interface in a partially-meltedmaterial by inducing a surface wave, according to an embodiment of thepresent invention; and

FIG. 7 illustrates an exemplary method according to an embodiment of thepresent invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the presentinvention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings. Wherever possible, the same or similar reference numbers willbe used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts.

In embodiments consistent with the invention, the crystallization of amolten material, such as silicon, is conducted by a casting process. Thecasting process may be implemented in different ways, including usingone or more seed crystals. As disclosed herein, such a casting processmay be provided so that the size, shape, and orientation of crystalgrains in the cast body of crystallized material is controlled. Ingeneral, the casting process requires accurate monitoring of thesolid-liquid interface and its movement during casting in order toaccurately control solidification and to ensure a final product that issubstantially free of, or is free of, defects. By way of example,solidification of a material during a casting process can take place ina crucible, where solidification is initiated from at least one wall ofthe crucible, and not through a cooled foreign object drawing siliconout of the crucible. The crucible may have any suitable shape, such as acup, a cylinder, or a box. Further, consistent with an embodiment of thepresent invention, the mold, vessel, or crucible includes at least one“hot side wall” surface in contact with the molten material. As usedherein, the term “hot side wall” refers to a surface that is isothermalwith or hotter than the molten material that it contacts. Preferably, ahot side wall surface remains fixed during processing of the material.

Consistent with one embodiment of the present invention, solidificationduring a casting process can be accomplished by positioning a desiredcollection of crystalline “seeds” in, for example, the bottom of avessel, such as a quartz, fused silica, or graphite crucible that canhold a molten material. As used herein, the term “seed” refers to ageometrically shaped piece of material with a desired crystal structure,wherein at least one cross-section has a geometric, polygonal, shape,preferably having a side that conforms to a surface of a vessel in whichit may be placed. For example, in a casting process for silicon, such aseed can be either a monocrystalline piece of silicon or a piece ofgeometrically ordered multi-crystalline silicon. As used herein, theterm “continuous monocrystalline silicon” refers to single crystalsilicon, where the body of silicon is one homogeneous body of siliconwith a consistent crystal orientation throughout and not smaller piecesof silicon joined together to form a larger piece of silicon. Further,as used herein, the term “continuous geometric multi-crystallinesilicon” refers to geometric multi-crystalline silicon where the body ofsilicon is one homogeneous body of geometric multi-crystalline siliconand not smaller pieces of silicon joined together to form a larger pieceof silicon. Consistent with an embodiment of the present invention, aseed may have a top surface that is parallel to its bottom surface,although this does not have to be the case.

During a casting process of silicon, for example, molten silicon isallowed to cool and crystallize in the presence of the seeds, preferablyin a manner such that the cooling of the molten silicon is conducted sothat the crystallization of the molten silicon starts at or below thelevel of the original top of the solid seeds and proceeds away,preferably upwards away, from the seeds. The solid-liquid interface atan edge of the molten silicon conforms to a cooling surface of thevessel, such as a surface in a crucible, in which it is being cast.According to embodiments of the invention, the solid-liquid interfacebetween the molten silicon and the crystallized silicon can bemaintained substantially flat throughout part or all of the castingprocess. In an embodiment of the invention, the solid-liquid interfaceat each of the edges of the molten silicon is controlled during thecooling so as to move in a direction that increases a distance betweenthe molten silicon and the silicon seed crystal while preferablymaintaining a substantially flat solid-liquid interface. Although thisexample described casting of silicon, one of ordinary skill in the artwill recognize that other materials may be cast using the methoddiscussed above.

Therefore, consistent with the present invention, the solid-liquidinterface may conform to the shape of a cooled surface of the vessel.For example, with a flat-bottomed crucible, the solid-liquid interfacemay remain substantially flat, with the solid-liquid interface having acontrolled profile. The solid-liquid interface can be controlled so thatits radius of curvature decreases as one moves from the edge to thecenter. Alternatively, the solid-liquid interface can be controlled tomaintain an average radius of curvature of at least half the width ofthe vessel. Moreover, the solid-liquid interface can be controlled tomaintain an average radius of curvature of at least twice the width ofthe vessel. The solid can have a slightly convex interface with a radiusof curvature at least about four times the width of the vessel. Forexample, the solid-liquid interface can have a radius of curvaturegenerally greater than 2 m in a 0.7 m square crucible, more than twicethe horizontal dimension of the crucible, and preferably about 8x toabout 16x a horizontal dimension of the crucible.

Monitoring the solid-liquid interface permits controlled heating and/orcooling of a portion of the material to be crystallized in order tocontrol the location and movement of a solid-liquid interface during thecasting process. Consistent with the present invention, this monitoringmay be performed by detecting changes in the surface of material beingcast. For example, a form of radiation may be reflected from a liquidsurface of a material to be cast, or emitted therefrom. Based on adetected amount of reflected radiation, characteristics of surfacewaves, bulk waves or other disturbances on the surface of the moltenmaterial may be calculated. After parameters, such as wavecharacteristics or disturbances, have been calculated, it is thenpossible to calculate a distance between the liquid surface and thesolid-liquid interface, based on the total amount of material cast andsurface area of the crucible in which the material is cast.

As used herein, the term “surface wave” includes any wave created by adisturbance or disturbances on the surface of molten material thatpropagates along the surface, involving mass transport of the liquid.For example, surface waves may be standing waves having characteristicresonance frequencies or they may have any periodicity depending onintrinsic or environmental factors. Furthermore, as used herein,“radiation,” “reflected radiation,” and “emitted radiation” refer to anytype of radiation which will reflect, partially reflect, or otherwise beemitted from, the surface of a partially melted or molten material.

Referring to FIG. 1A, an exemplary casting station 100 is shown incross-section. Casting station 100 includes a vessel 105 containing, inpart, a crucible 110. Crucible 110 may be of any suitable shape, such asflat-bottomed or cup-shaped, though it is depicted for illustrationpurposes as rectangular-shaped. Crucible 110 is open on at least oneside, the open side preferably facing a removable cover 115. Removablecover 115 may be connected to the rest of vessel 105 by clasp/seal 117.A window 120 may be provided through the removable cover 115 for viewingthe contents of crucible 110, and a tube (not shown) may funnel processgas down into hot zone 112, enclosed by insulation 190. An example ofwindow 120 is shown in cross-section in FIG. 1A, and a partial plan viewthrough the window taken along the line A-A is shown in FIG. 1B. In FIG.1A, tube 122 is illustrated as forming a path separate from a viewingpath through window 120. In FIG. 1B, tube 122 is illustrated comprisingpart of the viewing path through window 120. Also as shown in FIG. 1B,window 120 may also include an outer port 124.

Still referring to FIG. 1A, heating elements 125 are included in vessel105, preferably surrounding one or more sides of crucible 110. Heatingelements 125 may be resistive heating elements, for example, and maysurround crucible 110 or may be positioned over top and under the bottomof the crucible. Alternatively, heating elements 125 may be individualheating elements of any desired size, shape, or quantity sufficient toheat the contents of crucible 110. Preferably, heating elements 125 maybe a series of concentric rings or individual bars/strips/blocks, suchthat each of the elements 125 may be controlled independently to enablelocalized heating of a specific portion of crucible 110. Heatingelements 125 may be, for example, a resistive heating element orelements, such as graphite or silicon carbide, electromagnetic (EM)heating coils, or any other suitable heating apparatus. Heating elements125 are preferably controlled, electronically or otherwise, by acontroller 130. For example, controller 130 may be a programmableelectronic device, either self-contained or part of an overall computercontrol system, for providing electric current to heating elements 125.

Still referring to FIG. 1A, a solid heat sink material 135 is in contactwith a bottom of crucible 110 for radiating heat to water-cooled walls(not shown). For example, heat sink material 135 can be a solid block ofgraphite, and can preferably have dimensions as large or larger than thebottom of the crucible. Consistent with an exemplary embodiment of theinvention, heat sink material 135 can be approximately 66 cm by 66 cm by20 cm, when used with a crucible having a bottom surface that is 66 cmby 66 cm. The side walls of crucible 110 are, preferably, water cooledand insulated from hot zone 112, provided that solidification of anymaterial melted therein begins at the bottom of the crucible 110.Alternatively, it is possible to have heat sink material 135 located onone or more other surfaces of crucible 110, in combination withalternatively placed heating elements 125. Consistent with certainembodiments of the invention, heating elements 125 may alternatively belocated at different positions with respect to the bottom of crucible110. Further, by selectively controlling heating elements 125,controller 130 may be used to produce a temperature gradient (not shown)inside crucible 110. Using a combination of heating elements 125 andcontroller 130, and optionally using heat sink 135, any desiredtemperature gradient may be produced in crucible 110.

As further illustrated in FIG. 1A, a solid material 140 is added tocrucible 110. Solid material 140 may be, for example, any suitable solidmaterial for use in a casting process. For example, if silicon is beingcast, solid material 140 may comprise silicon feedstock. In embodimentsconsistent with the invention, such feedstock, for example, may beplaced on top of one or more seed crystals, such as a monocrystallinepiece or silicon or a piece of geometrically ordered multi-crystallinesilicon. Moreover, depending on the casting process, solid material 140may completely or partially fill crucible 110. When controller 130controls the heating of one or more of heating elements 125, part or allof the solid material 140 can be melted.

In the example illustrated in FIG. 1A, melting may begin near the top ofcrucible 110, producing a region of liquid material 145 inside crucible110. Liquid material 145 has a liquid surface 150, and a solid-liquidinterface 153 with the remaining portion of solid material 140. Liquidsurface 150 may experience one or more surface waves or disturbances.The thickness of the liquid material 145 is depicted in FIG. 1A by thedistance 155 between liquid surface 150 and solid-liquid interface 153.Alternatively, melting may begin at the bottom of crucible 110, or atany point in between, depending on the desired temperature gradientproduced within crucible 110 by heating elements 125. Consistent withembodiments of the invention, liquid material 145 may be above the solidmaterial 140. It may also be possible, however, depending on thematerial being cast, to have at least a portion of solid material 140float in or on liquid material 145.

The melting phase of solid material 140 may be closely monitored totrack the position of the solid-liquid interface 153. Preferably, themelting phase proceeds until all or almost all of the solid material 140is completely melted. For example, the heating can be closely controlledsuch that all of the solid material 140 does not melt completely, bymaintaining a ΔT of about 0.1° C./min or less, as measured on an outsidesurface of the crucible 110, after reaching the melting temperature ofthe solid material 140 elsewhere in the crucible 110. Preferably, in oneembodiment, the heating can be closely controlled by maintaining a ΔT ofabout 0.05° C./min or less, as measured on an outside surface of thecrucible 110, after reaching the melting temperature of solid material140 elsewhere in the crucible. For example, consistent with theinvention, the ΔT can be measured on an outside surface of the crucible110 between the crucible and heat sink 135.

Still referring to FIG. 1A, by optically probing liquid surface 150, itis possible to gather information on the progress of melting/crystalgrowth and the thickness of the liquid material 145, as depicted bydistance 155, in crucible 110. Thus, monitoring the thickness of liquidmaterial 145 also provides information on the location and movement ofsolid-liquid interface 153. This permits controlled cooling of liquidmaterial 145 during casting, in order to control the location andmovement of solid-liquid interface 153 during the casting process.

For example, if casting station 100 is being used to cast silicon, therewill be a substantial amount of light emitted from the open side ofcrucible 110 due to the radiating heat from the molten silicon and theheat emitted by the hot insulation and reflected by the liquid silicon.Many molten materials, such as molten silicon, are reflective liquids.Optically visible native radiation is depicted by arrows 160 in FIG. 1A.Consistent with certain embodiments of the present invention, monitoringof the solid-liquid interface 153 may be performed by detecting changesin liquid surface 150 of the material being cast. For example, a form ofradiation, such as optically visible native radiation 160, may beemitted from liquid surface 150. Based on an amount of radiation 160detected at detector 163, as shown in FIG. 1A, characteristics of anydisturbances on liquid surface 150 may be calculated. Such a detectormay be a pyrometer or a charge couple device array, capable of measuringlight intensity and/or color as a function of time. After characterizingany disturbances on liquid surface 150, it is then possible to calculatea distance 155 between the liquid surface 150 and the solid-liquidinterface 153, when the total amount of material cast and surface areaof the crucible 110 in which the material is cast are known.

Thus, optically visible native radiation 160 may be viewed throughwindow 120 at the top of vessel 105. Consistent with the presentinvention, window 120 may be optically dark in comparison to theoptically visible native radiation 160, due to its dramatically lowertemperature and associated lack of visible black-body radiation. Thus,when viewing liquid surface 150 through window 120, a dark spot 185 maybe visible on the liquid surface 150. An example of dark spot 185 isillustrated in plan-view in FIG. 1B, taken along the lien A-A in FIG.1A. Dark spot 185 is actually a reflection of the optically dark window120 on the comparatively bright liquid surface 150. Due to the contrastbetween dark spot 185 and surface disturbances in liquid surface 150during casting, disturbances present on the surface 150 and encompassedby dark spot 185 can be detected. As radiation, such as opticallyvisible native radiation 160, passes through window 120, its intensitywill vary depending on the presence and intensity of surface waves ordisturbances which appear on the portion of liquid surface 150 that isencompassed by dark spot 185. Thus, for example, optically visiblenative radiation 160 may be observed and its intensity may be detectedby detector 163. Detector 163 may be, for example, an optical pyrometer,charge-coupled device (CCD), photocell, photodiode, or almost any othersuitable fast-response light detector, including infrared-based lightdetectors.

Either transmitted or reflected radiation may pass through window 120.Referring to FIG. 1A, for example, radiation could also consist ofreflected radiation 165 observed through window 120 after it reflectsfrom liquid surface 150. Reflected radiation 165 could be generated, forexample, by light passing into the chamber through window 120 andreflecting off of liquid surface 150. Alternatively, reflected radiation165 could originate at an emitter 175, propagate through window 120 astransmitted radiation 180, and then reflect off of liquid surface 150.For example, transmitted radiation 180 may be laser light generated atemitter 175. Emitter 175 may be, for example, a laser, light-emittingdiode (LED) source, or other radio- or micro-wave source. It will beunderstood that radiation 180 may also be any other suitable type ofelectromagnetic radiation, including visible light.

As shown in FIG. 1A, reflected radiation 180 or optically visible nativeradiation 160, or a combination thereof, can be detected by detector163. A signal corresponding to the intensity of the reflected radiation180 detected by detector 163 is then passed to a calculation and storagedevice 170, such as a processor or computer. Calculation and storagedevice 170 may be any means or apparatus known in the art which wouldallow collection, storage, and analysis of data. For example, a computerwith appropriate data capture, analysis logic or software, and datatransfer devices may be used. Other appropriate apparatuses for use ascalculation and storage device 170 will be apparent to one of ordinaryskill in the art. In certain embodiments consistent with the invention,a laser vibrometer may be used to emit a laser beam and detectinterference between the emitted beam and the reflected energy. Theinterference signal of the laser may be converted to a voltagecontaining all of the signal information. This voltage signal may thenbe converted to a digital signal for computer processing or pluggeddirectly into an oscilloscope. On a computer, for example, furtherreal-time or post-processing data analysis may decompose the signal intoits constituent frequencies.

In one embodiment, transmitted radiation 180 is transmitted via emitter175 through window 120. Emitter 175 may transmit, for example, a laser,as transmitted radiation 180, and detector 163 detects reflectedradiation 165 which comprises a reflected portion of the transmittedradiation 180. Alternatively, emitter 175 may produce sonic wavesthrough a speaker, or other sonic wave producing device, or it may be alaser that produces sonic shock waves when the beam is coupled into thetarget material. In other embodiments, no emitter is required and eitherreflected ambient light, native radiation 160, or a combination thereof,comprises the radiation detected by detector 163.

In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1C, the location of solid-liquidinterface 153 may be monitored, for example, in the case of castingsilicon, in the following way. One unusual property of silicon is thatit expands as it solidifies. Specifically, a given mass of silicon willtake up 10% more volume as a solid than it will as a liquid. As aresult, the progress of solidification can be tracked by measuring thechange in height of the liquid level from beginning to end of amelting/solidification cycle. For example, a 265 kg mass of silicon willhave a height of approximately 22 cm when fully liquid in a 69 cm²×69cm² crucible. After solidification, the height will have grown to morethan 24 cm, and through the solidification process there will be achange of 1 mm in the liquid level for every 1 cm of directionalsolidification. Consistent with this embodiment, the change of size of areflected object visible in the reflective liquid surface 150 is used todetermine the liquid level as follows.

As shown in FIG. 1C, detector 163 is located above window 120 in castingstation 100. Tube 122 extends into hot zone 112 and through insulation190 surrounding crucible 110. Within hot zone 112, during a castingprocess, bright radiation is being emitted from the heated insulation190 and, to a lesser degree, from liquid material 145. The diameter ofthe view, “v,” of detector 163 through window 120 of liquid surface 150is given by

${v = \frac{\left( {s + d} \right)a}{s}},$

where “s” is the distance from detector 163 to the end of tube 122, “a”is the diameter of tube 122, and “d” is the distance from the end oftube 122 to liquid surface 150. The viewable area on liquid surface 150will be largely occupied by the reflection of the bottom of tube 122, asshown in FIG. 1B. An image 122′ of the end of tube 122 will appear to bea distance “d” below the reflecting plane taken along the line B-B (alsocorresponding to the line B-B in FIG. 1A). In the case where tube 122 ismaintained significantly colder than hot zone 112, it will appear as adark region in reflection (as shown by dark spot 185 in FIG. 1B), due tothe lack of emitted light.

Still referring to FIG. 1C, the ratio of the diameter “b” of the darkspot to the view area “v” can be calculated as

$\frac{b}{v} = {\frac{s}{\left( {s + {2\; d}} \right)}.}$

Likewise, the fraction of the area taken up by dark spot 185 (shown inFIG. 1B) will be

${\xi = {\frac{A(b)}{A(v)} = \frac{s^{2}}{\left( {s + {2\; d}} \right)^{2}}}},$

and will have a dependence on the distance to liquid surface 150. Inthis way, the level of liquid material 145 (and therefore the height ofthe solid-liquid interface 153) can be determined by analyzing the sizeof dark spot 185 (shown in FIG. 1B and represented by “b” in FIG. 1C.For example, if the distance “s” is 1.5 m and the distance d is 0.3 m atthe beginning of the solidification stage of a casting process, theratio ξ will be 0.51. Consistent with the present invention, if a chargecouple device (CCD) array is used as detector 163, then 51% of thepixels would appear dark, for example, in an image analysis of the CCDarray. For a 2 megapixel CCD, there would be 1,020,408 dark pixels withthe balance being bright pixels. Just prior to the end ofsolidification, “d” would be 0.28 m, the ratio ξ would change to ξ=0.53,and 1,060,420 pixels would appear dark. The difference between the twoexamples discussed above, taken over 24 cm of solidification, nets 1,667pixels per cm or 167 pixels per mm of growth of solid material 140.While this represents only a 0.01% change in pixels per mm of growth, asillustrated by these examples, good averaging and a high quality CCD arecapable of this level of accuracy. The sensitivity only increases as theratio of d/s increases. In this way, measurement of the apparent size ofan object of known position on a reflective liquid can be used todetermine the progress of solidification when the material has a knownexpansion or contraction upon phase change. Consistent with the presentinvention, this method provides the ability to measure height from asingle vertical vantage point, which is a 60% improvement in sensitivityover simply measuring a linear change in height.

Referring to FIG. 2A, dashed line 205 represents a completely, orsubstantially completely, flat liquid surface of liquid material 145.Surface perturbations 210 may occur naturally, or may be induced, inliquid material 145, which will ultimately affect the intensity ofreflected radiation 165. This is illustrated in FIG. 2B, whereby dashedline 215 represents a reflected portion of transmitted radiation 180 offof the surface perturbations 210 on the surface of liquid material 145.The reflected portion 215 of transmitted radiation 180 may reflect offthe surface of liquid material 145 at any angle, depending on theamplitude and frequency of the perturbations 210. When perturbations 210cause a reflected portion 215 to reflect away from the direction ofdetector 163, the reflected portion 215 will not be detected by detector163, as is the case with reflected portion 215 illustrated in FIG. 2B.In FIG. 2B, reflected portion 215 is reflected in a direction that isnot perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to window 120, andreflected portion 215 is instead directed away from detector 163. Thatis, depending on the position of surface perturbations 210, somereflected radiation, such as reflected portion 215, deflected away fromwindow 120 and is not detected by detector 163.

During casting processes, such as those occurring in crucible 110 asshown, for example, in FIG. 1A, distance 155 will be effectively zerowhen crucible 110 is filled with solid material 140 prior to casting. Assolid material 140 is melted during casting, preferably from the topdown, liquid surface 150 will form, and liquid material 145 will beginto occupy the upper regions of crucible 110, and solid-liquid interface153 will be present at the interface between liquid material 145 and theremaining portion of solid material 140. As melting continues, distance155 will increase until all of solid material 140 is melted. When thecooling stage of the casting process commences, heat will be drawn awayfrom crucible 110 by heat sink 135. Thus, solidification of liquidmaterial 145 will begin, and distance 155 will decrease until all ofliquid material 145 is solidified. Distance 155 will once again beeffectively zero when the casting process is completed.

Perturbations 210 may be, for example, surface waves on the surface ofliquid material 145, waves induced by internal convection occurringduring the heating of liquid material 145, or movement generated byelectromagnetic stirring caused by current in heater 125 inducing anegative current in liquid material 145 and causing repulsion. Otherexamples of perturbations 210 include surface waves caused by vibrationsoccurring in the environment outside of vessel 105, crucible 110, orcasting station 100. Such vibrations may be transmitted to liquidmaterial 145 through the walls of vessel 105, crucible 110, or castingstation 100. Artificial perturbations may also be introduced into liquidmaterial 145 intentionally during processing. Examples of artificialperturbations include vibrations and displacements as well as sonicwaves, such as those produced from a speaker, laser, motor, transducer,or other sonic wave producing device. Natural and artificialperturbations are exemplary perturbations, and other examples ofsuitable perturbations consistent with the present invention may also beprovided during casting.

Referring to FIG. 2C, a portion of transmitted radiation 180 that isincident upon perturbation 210 may be reflected back towards window 120and detector 163. Reflected portion 220 of transmitted radiation 180 maythus be directed opposite the direction of transmitted radiation 180.The reflected portion 220 may then be detected by detector 163, asshown, for example, in FIG. 2C. That is, depending on the position ofsurface perturbations 210, some reflected radiation, such as reflectedportion 220, may be reflected back toward window 120 and be detected bydetector 163. This will typically occur when transmitted radiation 180is incident on a maxima or minima of surface perturbations 210, or whenthe deflection is sufficiently small to allow collection at the emitter.The incident and reflected beams can also be optically manipulated toobtain signal from a broader range of reflection angles, for examplewith lenses and mirrors.

Still referring to FIG. 2C, distance 155 between liquid surface 150 andsolid-liquid interface 153 is shown, as in FIG. 1A, in the case whenthere are no surface perturbations on liquid surface 150. When surfaceperturbations 210 exist on liquid surface 150, the distance between theliquid surface 150 and solid-liquid interface 153 will vary, dependingon the amplitude and frequency of surface perturbations 210. Dependingon the position of surface perturbations 210 under window 120, thedistance between the liquid surface 150 and solid-liquid interface 153may be less than distance 155, as depicted by arrow 225, showing thedistance from a minima in surface perturbations 210 and the solid-liquidinterface 153. On the other hand, the distance between the liquidsurface 150 and solid-liquid interface 153 may be greater than distance155, as depicted by arrow 230, showing the distance from a maxima insurface perturbations 210 and the solid-liquid interface 153.

The surface area of liquid material 145 inside crucible 110 issubstantially constant during casting, excluding thermal expansion, butthe wave velocity of surface perturbations 210 changes as a function ofthe thickness of liquid 145. Thus, during casting, the frequency ofsurface perturbations 210 can be calculated at different times duringthe casting process. That is, because the surface area of liquidmaterial 145 inside crucible 110 is known, and the frequency of surfaceperturbations 210 can be measured, the wave velocity can be calculated,and, in turn, the distance 155 between liquid surface 150 andsolid-liquid interface 153 can be determined.

This in turn will correspond to a change in the amount and intensity ofreflected radiation 165 or 220 detected by detector 163. Becausedistance 155 will vary during the casting process (increasing duringmelting, and decreasing during solidification), the resultantfrequencies of surface perturbations 210 will change as the thickness ofliquid material increases (during melting) and decreases (duringsolidification).

Surface perturbations 210 may be of two distinct forms. The first kindof perturbations is due to the transmission of sound waves in the bulkof liquid material 145 manifested on the liquid surface. Theseperturbations involve the motion not of large quantities of matter, butof small atomic displacements in the form of sonic energy. Thecharacteristic frequencies of the second kind of perturbations will bein a range above about 100 Hz and may have a small amplitude at thesurface (i.e., less than 1 mm), typically involving atomic oscillationson the sub-millimeter scale. The second kind of perturbation is masstransport waves that will move back and forth across the surface atrelatively low frequencies (i.e., less than about 50 Hz). For example,these waves may be caused by ambient vibrations transmitted throughcrucible 110 in any direction. The amplitude of these waves may begreater than about 1 mm, involving atoms typically moving overmillimeter to centimeter order distances.

Consistent with embodiments of the invention, the resonance frequency ofsurface perturbations 210 may be calculated using a Fourier transformmethod on the periodic amplitude or intensity variation of emitted orreflected radiation 160 corresponding to surface perturbations or soundwaves 210. Referring to FIG. 3, for example, a Fourier transform 300 isdepicted for time (t₀) to time (t_(f)). That is, Fourier transform 300can be calculated on the signal acquired from t₀ through t_(f).Calculation of the Fourier transform 300 may be performed by calculationand storage device 170, based on data obtained by detector 163. Thus,between time t₀ and t_(f), the intensity of reflected radiation detectedby detector 163 is analyzed using the Fourier transform method todetermine the frequency components of the signal.

Still referring to FIG. 3, a maximum amplitude (A_(max)) exists at acorresponding resonance frequency (f_(R)), which in turn corresponds tothe thickness of the liquid material at a given time during casting.That is, f_(R) corresponds to the distance 155 between solid-liquidinterface 153 and liquid surface 150 at a given time. f_(R) occursbetween the minimum frequency (f_(min)), which corresponds to themaximum thickness of liquid material 145 (for example, distance 230shown in FIG. 2C), and the maximum frequency (f_(max)), which correspondto the minimum thickness of liquid material 145 (for example, distance225 shown in FIG. 2C), respectively.

A resonance frequency (f_(R)) can be artificially stimulated in liquidmaterial 145. In each of the three cases shown in FIGS. 4-6, forexample, the location of solid-liquid interface 153 can therefore bedetermined by introducing a sonic wave, such as a continuous sonic waveto the liquid surface 150. Alternatively, disturbances may be induced byproducing vibrations in or beneath the liquid surface 150. In each case(FIGS. 4A, 5, and 6), these sonic waves are partially absorbed at theliquid surface 150 and the absorbed sonic wave is transmitted down tosolid/liquid interface 153. At this point, a portion of the sonic wavewill reflect back up to the surface. At the fundamental resonancefrequency of the liquid material 145, the reflected sonic wave willconstructively interfere with the next wave front of the sonic wavecoming from the sound generator to the liquid surface 150. By scanningthrough a range of frequencies of applied sonic waves, the f_(R) can befound, for example, by measuring the liquid response and tracking themagnitude of the induced peak of Fourier transform 300. The height ofthe induced frequency in Fourier transform 300 will have a maximum atf_(R). Because Fourier transform 300 is essentially a conversion of atime-based signal to a frequency-based signal, it can be calculatedusing techniques known to those of ordinary skill in the art.

Referring to FIGS. 4A-B, 5, and 6, other embodiments consistent with theinvention are shown, in which the liquid surface 150 is stimulated toproduce a plurality of sonic waves, either over time in a sweep, orsimultaneously. By producing a plurality of sonic waves at differenttimes during the casting process, the resonance frequency (f_(R)) can befound as it changes with the thickness of liquid material 145 insidecrucible 110, for example, during solidification.

Referring to FIGS. 4A and 4B, emitter 175 is used to generate pulsedelectromagnetic radiation 180, with sufficient energy density to producea sonic shock wave pulse in liquid surface 150. FIG. 4B is an expandedview of the region 405 in FIG. 4A, and illustrates laser radiation 410emitted, for example, from emitter 175. In order to be effective inproducing the sonic shock wave pulse, the absorbed power density of thelaser radiation 410 needs to be substantial enough to cause ablation ofa portion of the liquid material 145 or to generate a thermal impulse tocreate a pressure wave (due to typically supersonic thermal expansion ofa portion of liquid material 145 or a vaporized portion of material (notshown)). Ablation may occur when laser radiation 410 is so stronglyabsorbed as to turn a portion of the volume of liquid material 145 intoa plasma, the rapid expansion of which exceeds the speed of sound andcreates shock waves 415 in the surrounding portions of liquid material145. For example, many types of lasers can be used to achieve thenecessary power to cause ablation of a portion of liquid material 145,though the laser radiation 410 should be focused/collimated on asufficiently small portion of liquid material 145 to achieve thenecessary aerial power density. Laser radiation 410 thus induces shockwaves 415 on liquid surface 150 and in liquid material 145. Shock waves415 in turn produce negligible mass transport surface perturbations 210on liquid surface 150. Shock waves 415 may be used, for example, totransmit sound pulses to solid/liquid interface 153. The frequency ofthe overall sonic excitation will be determined by the repetition rateof the laser pulses. At the frequency where the next incoming laserpulse constructively interferes with the reflected sonic wave front ofthe current pulse, the fundamental resonance frequency (f_(R)) will bemeasured, and the position of solid-liquid interface 153 can then becalculated in the manner described below. Other higher order resonancesmay also be observed at higher frequencies, as well as frequencies ofdestructive interference, all of which correlate to the same heightinformation of the liquid.

Referring to FIG. 5, a moveable rod 505 is used to transmit sound waves210 into liquid material 145. Rod 505 may be, for example, siliconcarbide, or any other suitable material that will withstand the heat andduration of the casting process without itself melting or otherwisereacting with or contaminating liquid material 145 with impurities.Other materials, such as silicon nitride, quartz, and aluminum oxide mayalso be used for moveable rod 505. The frequency of the sound waves canthen be varied over a range to determine the resonance frequency asdescribed above and depicted in FIG. 3. Rod 505 could also be used, forexample, to generate perturbations 210 by moving up and down in liquidmaterial 145, when ambient vibrations are not significant, or are notconsistent enough to produce sizeable surface waves on liquid surface150. The use of rod 505 is different from known dip-rod methods, forexample, in that rod 505 does not penetrate liquid material 145 to thepoint of contacting solid-liquid interface 153. The resonance frequency(f_(R)) of surface perturbations 210, and the position of solid-liquidinterface 153, can then be calculated in the manner described above.

Whatever excitation method is used to produce surface perturbations 210,however, the frequency of the excitation may be controlled by anexternal source. In an embodiment consistent with the invention, therepetition rate of a laser may be controlled by a computer program forgenerating a frequency sweep in a given time. In another embodimentconsistent with the invention, a signal generator may be used through anamplifier to drive a speaker in a selected frequency range, producingeither sweeps or white noise. Therefore, consistent with embodiments ofthe invention, any method of generating an analog voltage signal or adigital signal with a given frequency or set of frequencies may be used.Liquid material 140 may be probed by changing the excitation frequencyand monitoring the vibrations on the surface of liquid material 140.This monitoring can be done, for example, with a laser vibrometer, tomonitor the amplitude of perturbations 210 at the driving frequency. Atresonance wavelengths, this amplitude will have a local maxima with abandwidth of about 20 Hz to about 30 MHz, depending on the melt depth,the speed of sound in the medium, and the order of the harmonic. Forexample, near the end of the melting phase and at the beginning of thesolidification phase in a casting cycle of silicon, the resonancefrequency (f_(R)) will generally be in the range between about 2 KHz andabout 10 KHz. Thus, consistent with an embodiment of the invention, andfor liquids in an open vessel or crucible, amplitude maxima will occurat wavelengths (l) (known from Fourier transform 300), related to theheight of liquid material 145 (represented by arrow 155 in FIG. 1A, forexample) by the equation:

${l = \frac{4\; L}{\left( {{2\; m} - 1} \right)}},$

where l is the wavelength where the disturbance has an amplitude maxima,L is the thickness, and m is a positive integer (1, 2, 3, . . . ).Consequently, the thickness of the liquid can be calculated directlyfrom the frequency of the observed maximum with the following relation:

$L = {\frac{\left( {{2m} - 1} \right)v_{s}}{4\; f}.}$

It is generally convenient to use the fundamental frequency where m=1,since this should be the minimum resonance frequency possible. Thus, thethickness (L) of liquid material 145, and, consequently, the location ofsolid-liquid interface 153, may be determined. In addition, otherempirical relations may be found with resonant or dead frequencies thatoccur with characteristic relations to the height of the liquidmaterial.

Another way to measure the progress of solidification by knowing theposition of a submerged solid-liquid interface 153 involves introducingdiscrete pulses into liquid surface 150 and watching for the reflectionof the pulse from the solid-liquid interface 153. Conventionally, thishas been accomplished using ultrasonic transducers and sensors, whichrequire some level of contact with the medium being cast. Consistentwith the present invention, however, this level of contact isunnecessary when a high power laser or remote speaker system is used toproduce discrete sonic pulses on liquid surface 150. A remotemeasurement device, for example a laser vibrometer, can be used tomeasure both the initial and reflected pulses. By measuring the timedifference, dt, between the initial and reflected pulses and knowing thespeed of sound, v_(s), in the medium, it is possible to directly measurethe depth of the liquid. It is similarly possible to measure the heightdimension of a solid object. The depth of the liquid, l_(d), will begiven by

$l_{d} = {v_{s}*{\frac{dt}{2}.}}$

Pulses may be generated on the liquid surface in one of two ways.

In the first way, consistent with the present invention, a high powerlaser beam is tuned to have a minimum possible beam size at the level ofthe liquid surface, either by collimating the beam or by using focusingoptics. The laser may then generate individual pulses, or it maygenerate a steady train of pulses at an inter-pulse period that ispreferably at least twice the length of the expected reflection time.Consistent with the present invention, this method is applicable evenunder vacuum conditions.

A second way, consistent with the present invention, involves using aspeaker to create individual pulses or a continuous train of pulses at agiven frequency in conjunction with an ambient atmosphere capable oftransmitting the sonic energy to the liquid surface. By way of example,the speed of sound in liquid silicon is 3920 m/s, so it will take only0.11 ms to reflect off the bottom surface of crucible 110 when thematerial is fully melted at 22 cm height. With only 2 cm liquid heightremaining, the time between initial and reflected pulses will be 0.005ms, which defines the frequency response necessary in detector 163(greater than 1 MHz for sufficient resolution in this example), as wellas the pulse width of the pulses (shorter than 0.002 ms).

Consistent with the present invention, a second type of perturbations,such as waves caused by ambient vibrations transmitted through crucible110 in any direction (discussed earlier), may include mass transportwaves that will move back and forth across the surface at relatively lowfrequencies (i.e., less than about 500 Hz). The speed, v_(sw), of asurface wave in a shallow liquid may be calculated by the equationv_(sw)=(gL)^(1/2), where g is the gravitational constant and L is thedepth of the liquid. Generally, a single wave front propagating in thecrucible will reflect back and forth several times before eventuallydamping out. Assuming primary propagation perpendicular to a cruciblewall (when using, for example, a rectangular crucible), the observedfrequency will depend on the speed of the wave packet and the width ofthe crucible in the direction of propagation, w. The frequency, f asobserved in the middle of the crucible will be determined by thefollowing relation:

$f = {\frac{v_{SW}}{w} = {\frac{({gL})^{1/2}}{w}.}}$

Alternately, the depth of the liquid, L, can be determined by themeasured frequency according to:

$L = {\frac{f^{2}w^{2}}{g}.}$

This observed frequency is independent of the driving frequency creatingthe wave front and depends only on the width of the crucible and depthof the liquid.

For example, a crucible with a width of 69 cm and a liquid depth of 22cm will have a primary surface wave frequency of 2.13 Hz. Similarly, forexample, a crucible with only 2 cm of liquid will have a frequency of0.64 Hz, thus necessitating precise measurement of low frequency waves.Therefore, consistent with the present invention, the above-describedmethods can rely on ambient vibrations for the production of surfaceperturbations, or, alternatively, a purpose-built system can be used toproduce perturbations on demand for particularly quiet environments. Theoverall liquid depth of solid/liquid interface 153 can therefore becalculated by measuring either the frequencies of surface waves or bymeasuring the wave speed directly using a laser-reflection method.

Referring to FIG. 6, a wave generator 605 is used to generate waves 610(e.g., bulk, mass transport waves) on liquid surface 150 to producesurface perturbations 210. Wave generator 605 may be used, for example,to generate waves 610 when ambient vibrations are not significant, orare not consistent enough to produce standing waves on liquid surface150. The power of such a device (i.e., wave generator 605) need only besufficient to transmit all the way to the liquid at the low frequenciesneeded to create surface waves. Conventional audio speakers can be usedas wave generator 605, as can physical vibration drivers like motors,piezo devices, or vibrating devices, such as a linear or rotary ballknocker. The resonance frequency of surface perturbations 210 can thenbe calculated in the manner described for surface waves above.Alternately, a higher frequency method of generating waves 610 from wavegenerator 605 can be employed where audio signals are coupled to liquidsurface 150. The resonance of liquid material 145 can be determined bymeasuring sonic vibrations at liquid surface 150.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart depicting an exemplary method of monitoring asolid-liquid interface, consistent with the present invention.Consistent with FIG. 7, method 700 may begin by beginning the melt stageof a casting process to establish a solid-liquid interface in apartially or fully melted material (step 705). Next, radiation isdetected by either reflections off of, or emissions from, the liquidsurface (step 710). Surface perturbations are then measured in theliquid surface (being due to native background vibrations or inducedvibrations; see step 715). The resonance frequency of surfaceperturbations is then calculated using a Fourier transform of theperiodic amplitude/intensity variation of the detected radiation orsurface perturbations (step 720). The maximum amplitude is determined ata corresponding resonance frequency (step 725). Then, the thickness ofthe liquid portion of the partially melted material is calculated basedon the determined maximum amplitude and wavelength of surface standingwaves in the liquid portion or by measuring the wave speed directly(step 730).

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that variousmodifications and variations can be made in the disclosed structures andmethods without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention.Although casting of silicon has been primarily described herein, othersemiconductor materials and nonmetallic crystalline materials may becast without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Forexample, casting of other materials is possible, such as galliumarsenide, silicon germanium, aluminum oxide, gallium nitride, zincoxide, zinc sulfide, gallium indium arsenide, indium antimonide,germanium, yttrium barium oxides, lanthanide oxides, magnesium oxide,and other semiconductors, oxides, and intermetallics with a liquidphase. It will now be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art thata solid-liquid interface of any material including any metal orsemimetal which can withstand the temperatures required for castingwithout sublimating could be characterized by the above describedmethods and systems. These metals and semimetals may include, forexample, B, C, N, O, Al, Si, P, S, Zn, Ga, Ge, As, Se, Cd, In, Sn, Sb,Te, Hg, Pb, and Bi. Other embodiments of the invention will be apparentto those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification andpractice of the invention disclosed herein. It is intended that thespecification and examples be considered exemplary only, with a truescope and spirit of the invention being indicated by the followingclaims.

1. A method of monitoring a solid-liquid interface, comprising:providing a vessel configured to contain an at least partially meltedmaterial; detecting radiation reflected from a surface of a liquidportion of the at least partially melted material; providing adisturbance on the surface; calculating at least one frequencyassociated with the disturbance; and determining a thickness of theliquid portion based on the at least one frequency, wherein thethickness is calculated based on${L = \frac{\left( {{2m} - 1} \right)v_{s}}{4\; f}},$ where f is thefrequency where the disturbance has an amplitude maximum, v_(s) is thespeed of sound in the material, and m is a positive integer (1, 2, 3, .. . ).
 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the induced maximumamplitude in the frequency domain has a frequency of about 20 Hz toabout 30 MHz.
 3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the radiationis at least one of a laser light, ambient light, and native radiationemitted from the surface.
 4. The method according to claim 1, whereinthe disturbance is detected by monitoring vibrations on the surface ofthe liquid portion.
 5. The method according to claim 1, wherein thedisturbance is induced by an object placed in contact with the surface.6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the disturbance is inducedby projecting sound waves into, or inducing sound pulses in, thesurface.
 7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the sound waves areproduced by a speaker, laser, motor, transducer, or other sonicvibration producing device.
 8. The method according to claim 1, whereinthe disturbance is induced by producing vibrations in or beneath thesurface.
 9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at leastpartially melted material includes at least one element from thetransition metals or groups III-A, IV-A, V-A, and VI-A of the periodictable.
 10. A method of monitoring a solid-liquid interface, comprising:inducing a disturbance in a surface of a liquid material at a firsttime; measuring a first reflection of radiation from the surface at thefirst time; measuring a second reflection of radiation from the surfaceat a second time after the first time; and calculating a thickness ofthe liquid material based on ${L = \frac{v_{s}{dt}}{2}},$ where dt isthe difference between the second time and the first time, and v_(s) isthe speed of sound in the liquid.
 11. The method according to claim 10,wherein the radiation is at least one of a laser light, ambient light,and native radiation emitted from the liquid material.
 12. The methodaccording to claim 10, wherein the disturbance is induced by producingvibrations in the liquid material.
 13. The method according to claim 10,wherein the disturbance is detected by monitoring vibrations on thesurface of the liquid portion.
 14. The method according to claim 12,wherein the vibrations are produced by a speaker, motor, transducer, orother sonic wave producing device.
 15. The method according to claim 10where a laser light pulse creates at least one discrete sonic pulse inthe liquid material.
 16. The method according to claim 10, wherein thefirst and second reflections are reflected from at least one surfacewave on the surface.
 17. The method according to claim 10, wherein theliquid material includes at least one element from the transition metalsor groups III-A, IV-A, V-A, and VI-A of the periodic table.
 18. A systemfor monitoring a solid-liquid interface, comprising: a vessel configuredto contain an at least partially melted material; a window in the vesselfor detecting reflected radiation from a liquid portion of the at leastpartially melted material; a means for generating a disturbance on thesurface of the liquid portion; a means for detecting a change in theradiation reflected from the disturbance; a means for calculating afrequency associated with the disturbance based on the detectedradiation; and a means for determining a thickness of the liquid portionbased on the frequency.
 19. The system of claim 18, wherein the at leastpartially melted material includes at least one element selected fromthe group consisting of B, C, N, O, Al, Si, P, S, Zn, Ga, Ge, As, Se,Cd, In, Sn, Sb, Te, Hg, Pb, and Bi, and the at least partially meltedmaterial is a semiconducting material.
 20. The system of claim 18,further comprising a means for inducing a standing wave in the surface.21. The system of claim 18, wherein the means for inducing the standingwave is at least one of a one of a laser, a rod, a mechanical vibratingdevice, and a sonic wave producing device.
 22. The system of claim 18,wherein the rod is configured to transmit sound waves from the soundproducing device.
 23. The system of claim 18, wherein the radiation isat least one of a laser radiation, ambient light, and native radiationemitted from the liquid portion.
 24. The system of claim 18, wherein thevessel includes at least one hot side wall surface in contact with theat least partially melted material, the hot side wall surface beingisothermal with or hotter than the at least partially melted material.25. The system of claim 18, wherein the disturbance is at least onevibration in or beneath the at least partially melted material.